Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Jerry Jones: Glad to have Brandon Carr

IRVING, Texas – If Brandon Carr had to do it all over again, the Dallas Cowboys' cornerback might go for the pass breakup on Mark Sanchez's throw to Jeremy Maclin that led to a 72-yard completion for the Philadelphia Eagles again.

“It’s one of those in the heat-of-the-moment type things,” Carr said. “My mentality, my personality I have is to kind of go after the ball. I just didn’t come up with it. But at the same time I’m not going to turn off my aggression and turn off how I play. I’m going to keep playing the same way for the last two games the way I play.”

Carr will be in the spotlight Sunday with the Indianapolis Colts visiting AT&T Stadium. The Colts have the NFL’s top-ranked passing offense with Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, Reggie Wayne, Donte Moncrief and tight end Coby Fleener serving as prolific targets.

In the win two weeks ago against the Chicago Bears, Carr gave up a 27-yard touchdown to Alshon Jeffery, although the Bears’ receiver clearly tugged on Carr’s jersey. Those are the sorts of things that happen to a cornerback that is in a slump.

Carr is still looking for his first interception of the season. Jason Garrett prefers to look at Carr’s overall games and not the big plays allowed. While he can’t dismiss the bad plays, Garrett believes Carr is doing more than many realize.

So does defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and owner and general manager Jerry Jones.

The Cowboys signed Carr to a five-year, $50 million deal as a free agent three years ago. The investment has not paid off the way the Cowboys and Jones envisioned, but Jones isn’t displeased either.

“Oh I think that one of the things that create a challenge for him is it’s like the same one that a No. 1 draft pick has,” Jones said. “The expectation of what he’s supposed to bring to the table is one that is really very difficult to meet. Now has he played at a Pro Bowl level? No, he has not. And therein lies the issue. The expectation is that he would play at a Pro Bowl level. He obviously started off behind the eight-ball this year with the loss of his mother, time lost, but he’s come back in and I’m not as hard on him as possibly it looks like we should be or others are because I know that he does give us a skill level and a size component back there that is very important to us right now.

“I’m glad we got him. I’m glad I‘m paying him. Like everybody you’d like to have your deal squared up more to the value of where it is but that’s just part of this. And he’s very capable. He plays the ball well. One of his skills is how well he plays the ball, and let’s hope that he makes that interception at [a] time that [will] down in history for the Dallas Cowboys.”

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